Interest of G.D-M. , 2019 ND 235 ( 2019 )

Filed 10/03/19 by Clerk of Supreme Court
IN THE SUPREME COURT
STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA
2019 ND 235In the Interest of G.D-M., a child
State of North Dakota, Petitioner and Appellee
v.
G.D-M., Child; C.D., Mother;
Barb Oliger, Guardian ad Litem;
Executive Director ND DHS, Respondents
and
R.M-Z., Father, Respondent and Appellant
No. 20190232
and
In the Interest of A.D-M., a child
State of North Dakota, Petitioner and Appellee
v.
A.D-M., Child; C.D., Mother;
Barb Oliger, Guardian ad Litem;
Executive Director ND DHS, Respondents
and
R.M-Z., Father, Respondent and Appellant
No. 20190233
1
Appeal from the Juvenile Court of Burleigh County, South Central Judicial
District, the Honorable Lindsey Renee Nieuwsma, Judicial Referee.
AFFIRMED.
Per Curiam.
Benjamin Pulkrabek, Mandan, ND, for respondent and appellant; submitted
on brief.
Tessa Vaagen and Mary Melech, Assistant State’s Attorneys, Bismarck, ND,
for petitioner and appellee; submitted on brief.
2
Interest of G.D-M. and A.D-M.
Nos. 20190232 and 20190233
Per Curiam.
[¶1] R.M-Z., the father of G.D-M. and A.D-M., appeals from orders
terminating his parental rights to the children. R.M-Z. argues he received
ineffective assistance of counsel from his trial attorney and the evidence was
insufficient to establish he did not want to attend the trial. Because the face
of the record does not establish that his counsel was ineffective under the
guidelines set forth in Interest of K.L., 2008 ND 131, ¶ 31, 751 N.W.2d 677, and
the evidence is sufficient to support the judicial referee’s decisions, we
summarily affirm under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(2) and (7).
[¶2] Gerald W. VandeWalle, C.J.
Daniel J. Crothers
Jerod E. Tufte
Jon J. Jensen
Lisa Fair McEvers
3